Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Letter 41

March 26, 2012


Hola!


This week was a little rough for our area. Last week Elder Leiva and I set some pretty high goals that we thought we would definitely be able to reach together. All of them were set with people in mind, but I think we could have been a little more prudent with them. The switch of companions was a little unexpected and it was definitely hard on the area and our goals. Both of us are still trying to find our way around, meet members, and help our investigators. So this week we've lowered are goals a little bit. We still have the people, but with the change in the area we need to plan a lot smarter. Also with E.Rightmier's knee we have to go to the doctor and we cant tract much, so we'll have to work a lot smarter. Its a humbling expierence to say the least, but we'll be fine if we do all that we can and leave the rest to the Lord.


Jesse and Krystal are doing great. They are still just waiting for that letter. It should probably be coming after conference. But Jesse will be leaving to work in Georgia for a while. His mom's fiance got him the job and since he's on parol its the only option right now. He should be back by Easter, so maybe we'll have an Easter Baptism! Krystal said she's still going to come to church even without Jesse.


That referral from last week never got a hold of us, but we're going to keep trying. I think she just had to work a lot. She's got a crazy work schedule.


Yesterday we did have a baptism though! Roxanne Rodriguez (18) is one of our newest members and she's happy as can be! She was starting to have some doubts the friday before. She texted us and told us that she wasnt ready and that she didnt want to be baptized this Sunday. So, Elder Rightmier and I went over and gave her a piece of our minds! haha nah... she was just nervous. There wasnt any doctrinal issue... just cold feet. But we assured her that everything would be ok and that she had recieved an answer that it was right. She said that she knew it was true and that she would be baptized. The next day we went over to teach her one last thing and she looked great! No more nerves!


Other than that we're just trying to find some new investies... We taught this one guy about the Book of Mormon and showed him the picture of Jesus appearing to the Nephites and he was like,"Wow thats really interesting! I never knew that!" hahaha everyone says that. We're like,"Yep its pretty crazy huh?" haha anyways.. he actually came to church this Sunday which I definitely didnt expect! He didnt stay for all three hours though because I think he felt uncomfortable. Oh well.. we'll keep trying.


I'm sorry I totally forgot my camera... I'll try to get you some pictures... I'm a bad son I know.


Man thats too bad for team Voldemort! We totally would have won if I had been home! You'll get em next year boys! I LOVE YOU VOLDEMORT! THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN!!!


Elder Rightmier is from Olympus Washington. He has been out just as long as me, but he started before me. How does that happen you ask? He started his mission Nov 2010. In the MTC he hurt his ankle and then went to Peru. After a while he got sent home for 8 months to get surgery on his ankle. Then they sent him here. He's been all over the mission with different companionships and he was in Edinburg in a bike area when his knee started to hurt him. He thinks its because of his ankle surgery. Anyway... he needed to be in a car so they sent him to Papa Stewart and the Ford Focus GT. Thats pretty much it. We get a long pretty well. He likes all the same movies and shows that I do. We sing in the car beautiful hymns and he harmonizes with me... so thats fun. It is kinda tough though because he talks a lot about worldly stuff and I'm trying to stop doing that. Its tough for him because he was home for so long... He's kinda like a foster kid... haha nah I just think it gets him down and its hard for him to focus. Im not sure what I can do to help. I've just been trying to be a good example. I'm really trying to be the best "Preach My Gospel Missionary" I can. I am sharpening up those rough edges that I had and I'm really trying to focus on the work.
This week I'll definitely be focusing more on what I can do to better our area as the Senior Companion. I really want to be a good companion and help our area be successful. I'll be praying for strength and guidance from the Lord.


I hope you all have a great week. If anyone wants to write me a letter... that would be nice. LOVE YOOUUU!


-Elder Stewart

Monday, March 19, 2012

Letter 40

March 19, 2012

It’s been a pretty great week here in Donna! Unfortunately, I will be getting a new companion again! haha Elder Leiva is trading spots with Elder Rightmier in Edinburg. E. Rightmier just had surgery on his knee and he's in a bike area... so he can’t do any work. So they're sending him here to take it easy with me in the car (the Ford Fusion GT). We just barely found out yesterday right before church and E. Leiva leaves today at 1:30. haha it was pretty crazy... BUT ANYWAY.... E. Leiva and I have been blessed with a lot of success this week! As a zone we have all been praying to find families to teach and baptize, and Elder Leiva and I have been specifically praying to find a family of 4. Last Monday we set 4 BD's with a family, who are friends of a member family. They came to church this Sunday and loved it! Its a mom and her 3 daughters (12,10,8) and then there's little Juanito, but he's only 7... boooo.. too bad. They had
been taught once before by Elder Strong (one of the Elder's that died) at their member friends house, and they love the missionaries. Our first lesson we ended up doing 4 tea bag lessons (an object lesson that contains fire and tea bags)! At the end we asked them, "Who wants to come to church this Sunday?" They all said, "YEAH!!! WE DO!!" haha It was awesome. Oh. And it’s in Spanish. Roxanne (PM) just got interviewed yesterday and is all set to be
baptized next Sunday. She was kinda bummed when she found out Elder Leiva couldn’t baptize her now because he's leaving, but she'll be ok. She's great. She used to struggle reading her scriptures and understanding it all, so E. Leiva and I gave her a highlighter and had a lesson just to read the BOM. We read Lehi's dream and really broke it down simply for her and we highlighted things along the way. It was awesome to see the change in her after that lesson. Everything just clicked! From now on I'm going to give my investigators highlighters and read 2 Nephi 32:3. No more snacking! FEAST! We're still waiting on the letter from the First Presidency for Jesse and Krystal, but they're still holding on strong. Yesterday they came to a missionary fireside at the church and Jesse even said the closing prayer! Then after we went to their house and had a "FEAST upon the words of Christ" lesson and studied how testimonies are grown in Alma 32. It was a really powerful lesson. Also, yesterday Elder Leiva and I received a referral from a member. One of his friends from work came to church and really enjoyed it. She said she was coming next week for sure. We'll probably be seeing her on Saturday. We had our Zone Conference this week and it was focused on a talk given by Elder Bednar called Becoming a Preach My Gospel Missionary. He gave it while I was in the MTC so it was really awesome to hear it again. Man I really didn’t know anything about missionary work when I was in the MTC. SO that was really good for me to hear again. I have been reading it all this week.

I have this new hair gel that smells like Skittles and it is THE best thing in the world. My hair looks great AND smells great. What more could you ask for?! There is also a cabbage patch in our area that smells terrible... which is a testimony to me that there really must needs be an opposition in all things haha.

I think it would be best for you to send the package to the mission office and I can pick it up there. Did Dad get my line of authority? I’m super curious to see it. But that’s awesome that your sending England Candy!! I miss that stuff! Yay! I'm glad you both got home safe and you still could stay awake long enough to write me. LOVE YOUUUUUU! I'm loving being a senior companion. It’s tough though because I have to make a lot of decisions and you all know how great I am at doing that! But there has been a lot of growth. I am trying a lot harder to be obedient and trying to help our investigators progress. It truly is a humbling experience. Well that’s pretty much it this week. I’m pretty sure I didn’t answer all your questions but I feel like I did a good job haha. Have a great week! LOVE YOUUUU!

-Elder Stewart

Letter 39

March 11, 2012

Hola mis queridos amigos y mi amoroso familia!

Holy smokes! Mom you ask a lot of questions.... how am I going to answer all of them?! My companion E. Lieva is not poly. haha He's from Chicago. But his family hails from Guatamala and some other Latin countries. He's super cool and we get a long great! haha I'm always making him laugh... I guess I'm just a funny guy. He like can’t breath sometimes. I told him the story about that Black Guy at the Walmart that asked us if we were "On break" and he was dying haha. So yeah we get along great!

Our apartment is pretty sketchy.... but its ok. We're gonna shape it up in these next few weeks. Its just E. Leiva and me there... so no roommates. I unfortunately am not in a Corrola... I am in a Ford Focus.... Boooooo...
I love the area. The people here are so nice and the members are really willing to help with missionary work. E. Leiva and I are going to be working with the members a lot to find new investigators. We have 3 pretty solid investigators that we are working with right now. A little family: Jessie and Krystal, and an 18 year old girl: Roxanne. Jessie and Krystal are all set to be baptized, they area just waiting for a letter from the First Presidency for approval. They are amazing and are seeing SO many blessings from living the Gospel. It was so humbling to see Krystal help their 7 year old daughter to pray. The Gospel is beautiful. This week we’re going to help them set goals for the temple.
Roxanne is the daughter of a less active member that just started coming back to church. She's super cool and understands everything and is progressing to be baptized on the 25th. The area here is just ready to blow up. I can feel it. E. Leiva and I are going to see lots of success.

So you didn’t like the candy huh?..... you ungrateful SONS OF GUNS!!! haha jk that candy is so nasty haha that’s why I sent it! April fool on you! You can still give it to the Judy kids too... that would be funny. That’s good to hear that my jersey was in there too! I was kinda freakin’ out... hahaha. The reason I didn’t put more in there is because I was super rushed... but next time I'll prepare better!

Sorry I don’t have time to put pictures on here or answer ALL of your questions.... but you can always write me a handwritten letter and I'll answer you back... I basically don’t get any mail so.... haha I love you and I hope you all have a great week!

-Elder Stewart

Monday, March 5, 2012

Letter 38

3/5/12

Holy Smokes!
I've been out long enough to have a BABY! hahaha Golly gee... the time is just flying by! It kills me!

But I guess we'll start out with the news of TRANFERS.... Elder Stewart will be going to..............Donna, TX to be Senior Comp. with......(drum roll)...... Elder Lieva! Looks like I'm going to have a "step son"! And he's a brown one at that! I’m so proud! "Step Son" or "Breaker" is a missionary term that means a missionary's 2nd companion. So Elder Lieva was just trained and is now taking over the area. The bad news is... I’m going to be in a car! I kinda wanted to spend my whole mission on a bike :( sadly... I will not. I don’t know if I even remember how to drive! haha jk. I'm going to lose all of my leg muscle..... I was checking it out today while I was getting dressed and I must say... My thighs are pretty giant. AND my buns! Woooo... but now they'll be sitting in a car so... oh well. I'll get ‘em back later.

Yulie our investigator is progressing SO WELL! She is just soaking everything in. She is really really sad that I'm leaving though. In her own words she is, "Devastated"... I felt so bad. She wanted me to perform the ordinance of her Baptism. But I know that this is for the best. Investigators tend to get attached to their missionaries, which isn’t bad, but we want them to be apart of the ward and to get strength from their Savior, not from the missionaries. So this will be good. I'm going to write her letters of encouragement once I leave... "Its not like I'm dead..." I told her haha. She'll be great!

Rhonda might be moving to the island and the Sisters will have to teach her, but she will get baptized. I have no doubt in my mind that she will. Just not now.

I have a concern... I did put the Blake Griffin Jersey in there. I'm pretty darn positive.... so... If you could please check again that would be great. I forgot about the bed sheets... but the Jersey I know I put in there. If someone stole it... well... I don’t know... there's not much I can do. It’s just a jersey. But you can investigate it if you want. I need to focus.

Our Zone Leaders Elder Duke and Elder MacNeil have committed us to consecrate ourselves. Elder Duke told this story: There was a great famine in the land, and a man sold all that he had for 20 grains of rice. He was walking down the way when he was stopped by a prince. The prince asked him for some rice. The man looked at his small portion and gave him 3 grains. The young prince then reached into a bag and pulled out 3 rubies, gave them to the man and said, "What I received was what I would give." Then he went on his way. The man was saddened and wished he would have given all. Our Heavenly Father asks us to serve Him with all of our hearts. Not just 3 grains of rice worth. The blessings of doing so will be poured out upon our heads. Sometimes we're afraid of what we might lose, but we need to trust the Lord and have faith that we will gain more from our sacrifice.

I love you all so much. I truly have been blessed with the best family and the best friends anyone could ask for. I hope you all have a good week. -Elder Stewart3/5/12

Holy Smokes!
I've been out long enough to have a BABY! hahaha Golly gee... the time is just flying by! It kills me!

But I guess we'll start out with the news of TRANFERS.... Elder Stewart will be going to..............Donna, TX to be Senior Comp. with......(drum roll)...... Elder Lieva! Looks like I'm going to have a "step son"! And he's a brown one at that! I’m so proud! "Step Son" or "Breaker" is a missionary term that means a missionary's 2nd companion. So Elder Lieva was just trained and is now taking over the area. The bad news is... I’m going to be in a car! I kinda wanted to spend my whole mission on a bike :( sadly... I will not. I don’t know if I even remember how to drive! haha jk. I'm going to lose all of my leg muscle..... I was checking it out today while I was getting dressed and I must say... My thighs are pretty giant. AND my buns! Woooo... but now they'll be sitting in a car so... oh well. I'll get ‘em back later.

Yulie our investigator is progressing SO WELL! She is just soaking everything in. She is really really sad that I'm leaving though. In her own words she is, "Devastated"... I felt so bad. She wanted me to perform the ordinance of her Baptism. But I know that this is for the best. Investigators tend to get attached to their missionaries, which isn’t bad, but we want them to be apart of the ward and to get strength from their Savior, not from the missionaries. So this will be good. I'm going to write her letters of encouragement once I leave... "Its not like I'm dead..." I told her haha. She'll be great!

Rhonda might be moving to the island and the Sisters will have to teach her, but she will get baptized. I have no doubt in my mind that she will. Just not now.

I have a concern... I did put the Blake Griffin Jersey in there. I'm pretty darn positive.... so... If you could please check again that would be great. I forgot about the bed sheets... but the Jersey I know I put in there. If someone stole it... well... I don’t know... there's not much I can do. It’s just a jersey. But you can investigate it if you want. I need to focus.

Our Zone Leaders Elder Duke and Elder MacNeil have committed us to consecrate ourselves. Elder Duke told this story: There was a great famine in the land, and a man sold all that he had for 20 grains of rice. He was walking down the way when he was stopped by a prince. The prince asked him for some rice. The man looked at his small portion and gave him 3 grains. The young prince then reached into a bag and pulled out 3 rubies, gave them to the man and said, "What I received was what I would give." Then he went on his way. The man was saddened and wished he would have given all. Our Heavenly Father asks us to serve Him with all of our hearts. Not just 3 grains of rice worth. The blessings of doing so will be poured out upon our heads. Sometimes we're afraid of what we might lose, but we need to trust the Lord and have faith that we will gain more from our sacrifice.

I love you all so much. I truly have been blessed with the best family and the best friends anyone could ask for. I hope you all have a good week. -Elder Stewart